


A(nother) Korean Odyssey

by Anonymous



Category: ENHYPEN (Band), I-LAND (Korea TV), 엔하이픈 | Enhypen
Genre: Also Sunghoon is a mountain god, Also WonKi is so soft, BTS: In The Soop but BTS stands for Bewilderment Terror and Salvation, But boy do I love to explore Korean folklore, Do I have enough tags? Methinks so, Gen, I aged Ni-Ki to 20-ish, I have so much content to put out you have no idea, I have the plot all figured out and the end written but I need the middle I guess, Just one more to be sure, Just read to make sense of it all, My stress is at crazy high rn :')), No beta we die like men in the trenches, So freely inspired from A Korean Odyssey that it might be a completely different story, Still HoonKi trash here despite a drought of content lmaooo, Yeah I'm still on my mentioning Jake everywhere streak, Yeah Taki is Ni-Ki's lil bro for the needs of the story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:34:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27411265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Ni-Ki really just wanted to find his brother. He didn't plan for the journey ahead. He's not ready. Thank the gods he's got a guide. Or more so, thank the god who is his guide.
Relationships: I remain HoonKi trash, Park Sunghoon | 얼음 왕자 & Nishimura Riki | Ni-Ki, Park Sunghoon/Shim Jaeyun (past but very important)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 25
Collections: Anonymous





	1. 피 냄새 - Smell of Blood.

**Author's Note:**

> Warning : Nothing ahead makes sense. 
> 
> And also, mention of death/vampirism ahead so there's a bit of blood involved.

Clutching his head as he starts to stir awake, the male clenches his teeth hard and forces himself to sit up. He barely manages to lift himself up enough to lean on an elbow. Looking down at the wrist of the elbow he'd been leaning in, he realizes there's an I.V in there. "What is this?" He questions, before looking up to drink in his surroundings. There's nothing but darkness to see ahead. "Where am I?" He whispers out, growing increasingly worried.

Above his head, comes the sound of a door unlocking, followed by the opening of a trap. Dingy metal stairs unfurl in an unpleasant sound of squeaky, scraping metal as a pit of light pours in for a bit. The sun is declining. Eventually, someone walks in, their steps slow and in control. Not careful, because they seemed used to it. But patient, aware that rushing could end up poorly. He swallows, afraid of the intents of whomever locked him there. He gets a look at his captor's face for a second before they close the trap. The frail flame of a lighter dances in the air for a bit as they lock the trap again. Then climb down the few remaining stairs.He braces himself for whatever is to come as darkness swallows him again.

"You good there?" Comes the voice of his captor. It's deep and it's quiet, bearing no ill will but not particularly engaging either. Steps are heard for a little bit and finally, a large pillar candlestick is turned on. The light is dim still but it's better than foreign nothingness. "Can you speak?" The captor asks again. And he nods. "Then would you tell me if you are alright?"

"Headache, I have a headache." He replies, eventually.

"Yeah, it's normal. That's the Vervain in your body.It's burning away at the vampire venom."

He chuckles, because clearly, the man has lost his damn mind. "Right, that totally makes sense." He comments, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, so you're one of those skepticals, huh?" The captor asks, eyes dangerously narrowing. "Is that why you wandered past the frontier and into the Jeojubadeun Soop? Did you come here with buddies and a GoPro too? Looking for a bit of a thrill?"

He swallows, eyes starting to sting. "No." He replies quietly. "I came to look for my brother. One day he said he met a fairy who promised to protect him from the ghosts if he helped them retrieve something from a house in the woods. Back then I thought he was just making it up, the ghosts, the fairy man, it sounded out of a kid's imagination." He wipes away a tear pearling at the corner of his right eye. "I was an idiot. When I went to his room to wake him up the following day, Taki was gone and there was a note: 'The fairy came to get me, he said we didn't have time to say goodbye and that it wasn't polite to wake up sleeping people anyway. I shall be back by tonight.'" He chuckles, the sound a little wet and hollow. "That was a month ago."

"Why are you here now then?" The captor questions.

"I looked, and I started asking questions and informing myself. This is where my research led me to. The police wouldn't investigate. So here I am." He replies. "It's all in my note—" He sighs. "My backpack, my notebook was in there, did you find it?"

"Yeah, I saw your backpack, I also lit in on fire to distract a couple of vampires trying to turn you into a snack, I'm afraid your research is all gone kid." He replied, monochord and unapologetic about his choices.

Unapologetic enough until wide eyes looked at him with utter despair and a raw pain he remembered experiencing a long time ago. "It can't be..." He whispered out. "It can't, it can't..." He shook his head. "That's all I had to find him. I can't go home without him."

"Bold of you to assume you can go home at all." The captor replied. "Did you not notice something when you wandered into those cursed woods? That sensation that you've already been there no matter where you go? That feeling that you've already seen that tree and this one and the moss right at your feet? That uneasiness in your stomach because the journey feels a lot like it's never gonna end no matter how deep you are willing to dive in those woods?" He watches as the realization pass in his interlocutor's eyes. "Yeah, that's because it's all true. Jeojubadeun Soop is a maze constantly rewriting itself to make sure you don't get out. It was built to be someone's prison. That house you talk about, it's a magical prison. You, idiot."

"I'm not." He replied. "I know why I came and I know why I don't care that there is no way out as long as I find the person I went in for." He replies.

"And what do you think you'll find? Your happy little brother gambolling around with his friends the forest animals?" The captor chuckles. "Take your blinkers off, abandon all hope. He's either dead or something you don't want to run into. Your brother's gone anyway."

Tears spill and roll down rosied cheek. It's anger then, more than sadness, that motivates the leakage. The captor watches, curious as the young man rips out the I.V. "Fine then." He stands and wipes away the snot dripping down towards his lips with his sleeve. "I came here for answers. Whatever they are. If he is dead, I will see his body buried. If he is a creature of sorts, well so shall I be soon enough. You don't get it, do you? How long have you been hiding here? When have you lost your sense of humanity? When did you stop loving at all?"

"Stopped loving?" His brows crease as he grows closer, moves fluid, precise and striking. It's a hunter closing in on a prey. "You do not know me." He says. "If I had lost all sense of humanity, I would've watched those vampires feed on you and walked away." He speaks, tugging on the other's sleeves to reveal bite marks not only on his neck but along the top of his shoulder. "I have never stopped loving. This is the only thing that keeps me sane. The only thing, that keeps me here."

"Right, because you figured out a way out of this maze." His interlocutor replies, readjustment their shirt to cover the exposed skin.

"I don't need to." His interlocutor replies. "I made that maze." A fist collides with his face before he can do much about it. Sighing, he holds his nose and throws his head back. "I didn't make it to lure little kids in."

"You still are an enabler for everything that happens here, genius." The other says.

"The maze took a life of its own, beyond my control. Supernatural creatures made it their playground, aforsaken den of vice and misery the gods have decided to look away from. They turned on me, they turned on us all."

"Are you implying supernatural creatures aren't stuck in? So much for a supernatural prison."

"They're not stuck in, but as soon as they do step in, a part of their essence is bound to that place. They can't really get out. Not for long. They can at best, astral project away with more or less tangibility depending on their respective capacities. Besides, the prison is the house. Not this whole place."

He draws in a deep breath, controlling his temper to stop himself from striking the man again. "You said love kept you here... Do you love whomever it is that you imprisoned?"

He is met first with a chuckle. "No, I do not." Then a defeated sigh. "I love who they used to be."

"Who are you?" Comes the next question.

"No one of import."

"Ah yes, because it is within anyone's reach to simply make a magical maze prison." He snaps his fingers. "Boop, I made one too." He snaps again. "Boop, ano—" A hand is pressed to his mouth and he desperately holds his breath. His interlocutor looks up to the trap, eyes slightly narrowed. And from up close, they're incredibly pretty, he realized belatedly. He hadn't given much thought to their look before, but with the moles on display and the rosy lips so close, it's hard to miss. He watches, holding his breath still as the other's throat move in a dry swallow. Hold on a second, a swallow? It couldn't be good.

It is, in fact, not very good as banging is heard against the trap. "They smelled you." The captor eventually says, leaning even closer so that the words are more mouthed than whispered. His eyes go wide in distress. But the other merely brings his index to his lips before removing the hand that previously covered his mouth. He watched, incredulous as his captor takes a couple of steps back and starts floating towards the trap, eyes shut.

Eyes move underneath closed pupils but otherwise no movement is perceptible. Then eventually, he moves back towards the mortal. "The cache is compromised. They're gathering out there." He says. And he's not even bothering to be quiet anymore. "Do you want to live or do you want to survive?" Is asked.

And he swallows, because he knows what's implied. He's asked to choose between living his last moments as a human or tempting his luck in the world of supernatural creatures as one of them. He squeezes his eyes shut, he has to find Taki. So he says: "Survive."

His captor nods, and the ring around his index turns into a ring dagger tightly held in the palm of his hand. "Try to drain me and I'll kill you." He says, before pressing the tip against his wrist, just enough to draw drops of blood. Then he offers it out, knowing it will awaken urges if the vervain hasn't burnt away all the vampire venom yet. The smell is enough to draw the other in, eyes falling shut with a certain delight as he appreciates nuance in the fragrance that he'd never been able to sense before. His canines elongates into fangs, and he easily sinks them into the inviting wrist. Once shut eyes are now wide open, bloodshot with dilated pupils. This is it, the moment humanity recedes to give room to a new creature. The chinese ring dagger is buried to the hilt into a benevolent heart.

Xx

He awakens hours later, to find his captor hovering over him with a new expression on their features. Guilt. An expression that disappears behind a mask of stoicism as soon as his eyes are fully opened. "What's today's date?" The captor asks.

"I don't know." He replies.

"Name?" He tries next.

"Ni-Ki." He instinctively replies. "No, hey, wait, I didn't tell you that before!"

"He is well." The captor concludes. "Dawn is coming, the vampires will retreat soon but we have to get moving fast if we wanna get to another cache. The creatures that wander around the sun aren't much nicer."

"You don't say..." Ni-Ki grumbles. "Small detail, and maybe it has some sort of importance here genius: I am a vampire too now. How do I wander around in the sun?"

The other rolls his eyes. "You're one of these people who just asks to be punched, huh?" He asks back.

Ni-Ki chuckles. "No, no, most would say I am quite lovely. A bit on the shy side of the spectrum usually, really. But you bring those urges out of me. Perhaps you are the punchable one out of the two of us." He offers. "I mean, when did you last deal with a mortal? Your manners are really rusty."

His captor sighs deeply. "Perhaps." He concedes. "But I saved your life, did I not?"

"Huh, _I'm dead_." Ni-Ki reminds. "Undead, but dead."

"So punchable." The other reiterates, throwing his head back in frustration. Eyes shut, they take a long inhale before reopening their eyes. "My blood runs in your vein, and in the heart of this place, the surroundings won't actively harm you. At least, not those that I partially control. Also, and I hate how cliché this is going to sound but, there's a cloak on the wall over there. Put it on."

Ni-Ki nods and obeys. It's all far too new and foreign to try arguing about it with someone who might just be his sole chance at salvation. Unless he's already completely doomed that is... Shaking his head, the young male puts on the hood and turns to the other male. "I need to know your name." He says. "I'm entrusting you with my life, I want to believe that if I call your name for help, you will come."

"Ah, sure." The other male says, dragging the folded stairs back down. "Sanshin Sunghoon."

" _Sanshin?_ " Ni-Ki's brows creases. Surely not... "산신." He repeats. No way. "It's not possible. You?" A high priest at best, but a god?

"A minor deity? Yes." He replies. "Would you like to further discuss my lineage or try to survive another day?"

"Can't we do both? I do wonders at multitasking." Ni-Ki replies. He is merely met with an eyeroll as the other climbs up the rickety stairs to unlock the trap.

"Brace yourself, your perception of everything is going to be painfully acute for a while. And I don't have the time to teach you how to be who you gave now become." The minor deity informs. Ni-Ki nods. He wasn't prepared. He has to look away when real light pours in the room. "I told you." Sunghoon merely says before climbing out. "Hurry, we can't remain unmoving too long. Your mortal scent hasn't entirely receded yet."

"Usually, when people invite others to stroll in the forest, especially a forest they know the ins and outs of, it's not about survival." Ni-Ki point out, climbing up the old stairs.

"We're not gonna stroll." The mountain god replies, awaiting for the newly turned vampire to exit. "We'll run." He warns before taking off at a supernatural speed. Ni-Ki blinks, shocked for a couple of seconds. Then runs. _At a very mortal speed._

He's left panting about a couple of minutes later, his guide out of sight. Crouching, the fledgling vampire is genuinely coughing his lungs out. It's not very sustainable to try to keep up with a god at a human racing pace. In fact, it's just not possible.

"Fresh meat." He hears before he sees, instincts picking up as danger approaches. "You can hear us right?" Ni-Ki stands, taking a couple of stumbling steps back as he desperately searches for the origin of the voice. "Above you." The voice says and he looks up to see a hoard of a floating spirits. Eyes widening, Ni-Ki swallows. One of the ghosts descends towards him. "I'm so hungry he says. Let me borrow this body for a bit, I just want to fee—" A blast turns the creature into dust and the rest of the group flies away.

"Are you an idiot?" Come a familiar voice, from his left. "You're lucky you ran into new ghosts. Those Mongdals haven't turned evil yet."

"Mongdals? Mongdal gwisin?" Ni-Ki questions.

"Yes. Ghosts." Sunghoon sighs heavily. "Why didn't stay by my side?"

"I couldn't keep up, genius!" Ni-Ki replies. "I, am not a god."

"Yes, I know." The other replies. "That's why I was running. Normally a vampire can easily can keep up with that pace." Ni-Ki blinks. Right. He is, a vampire. "Don't tell me you actually ran..." The lack of answer speaks louder than words. Sunghoon throws his head back for a second before heaving a long sigh.

"Let's just go. Stop thinking so hard, let your instincts take over. Don't try to be a man anymore, embrace the beast."

"I don't want to be a beast." Ni-Ki replies.

"Then meet the one within you. And domesticate it." The mountain god replies before taking off again.

Ni-Ki swallows. "Okay," He closes his eyes and inhales deeply, welcoming new scents, discreet earthly aromas beyond the reach of a mortal with such clarity. He reopens his eyes, they're bloodshot red, he runs. And it doesn't feel like it. The scenery flies besides him, with an unpleasant stability. It doesn't go by like the scenery out of the windows of a car, it's a far too similar blur that seems endless. Except for the spot of white moving ahead. His salvation.

Xx

It's quiet for a while as they run. Well, not quiet actually. The sound of their bodies cutting the winds, of every foliage they step on, of every animal in their vicinity break the monotony. And Ni-Ki can hear it all. It's fascinating and frightening all the same. To feel so much, like every single nerve of yours is raw and exposed to feel fully. He wishes he could enjoy it. But he knows the maze is constantly rewriting itself and his guide is the only one with a cypher. He can't loose him. So he gets closer.

_Closer to the point where they collide._

Sunghoon has stilled. He snarls a little as they collide before refocusing ahead. "They're wandering out early."

"Whom?" Ni-Ki questions, standing behind the deity, trying his hardest not to look too scared.

"Bulgaeui Adeuldeuli." The mountain god says.

Ni-Ki's brows crease. "The sons of the—" His mouth falls open as the creatures come to sight.

"Fire dogs." Sunghoon finishes. "불 개의 아들들이. The sons of the fire dogs." He swallows. "Do not make any sudden move. They're not coming for us."

"What are they doing here?" Ni-Ki whispers, leaning in the other male's space.

"They're hiding. They can't return to dark world until they've achieve their fathers mission. Bring the moon or the sun to the king of Gamangnara."

The wolves come to a halt, laughters escaping their muzzles as they shift into mortals. "Did you hear that guys? We're hiding." One of the werewolves says.

"Oh really? I thought we'd run away." Another says. He gets smacked at the back of the head.

"Are you stupid?" The first speaks again, feigning a movement to hit the fellow werewolf as well. He turns back to the two others. "Whatcha doing on our turf?"

"Your turf?" The mountain god questions, raising an eyebrow.

"Ay, don't be like that Sunghoona, you kn—"

"Excuse me?" The deity interrupts, brows raising in disbelief.

The werewolf chuckles. "You're all excused. You've made us this amazing playground after all." He says, opening his arms wide to gesture at their surroundings.

The god's jaw clenches. "I didn't make you, anything."

"Right." The werewolf laughs. "You made it for your lover before he went crazy." He pouts. "How does it feel? To know that he hasn't gotten back his sanity since your forced too much power into him? How does it feel to break what you intended to alleviate. The rightful god, who couldn't just love a shaman. You had to bring him to your level. But he didn't rise and soar, no, no, he crashed and burned from within. Now all that's left is ashes and an empty shell darkness happily filled to the brim."

"Watch your maw before I force a muzzle on it." Sunghoon replied.

"I struck a nerve didn't I?" The wolf's lips curl up. "And I think I'm about to strike another." He snarls. "How dare you bring a vampire on our grounds."

"I warned you." The god says, extending his arm. He clenches his fist and lifts it up before swiftly bringing it back down, forcing a choke hold on the chatty creature that falls onto their knees.

The wolf seems to choke for a couple of seconds, eyes wides as he clutches his throat. But coughs easily turn into mocking laughter, soon joined by the other. "Don't forget your punishment, mountain god. There are no mount here. Not even a little hill. We've been here long enough to figure our way around your little tricks."

"Right." Sunghoon nods. "Shall we do this old school then? Tear through you and turn you into matching coats? Maybe a scarf for that mad lover of mine. I believe he did turn one of you's father into a carpet at some point didn't he? Which one was it that was supposed to bite the moon again?" He asks, his ring now turned ring dagger in the palm of his hand.

A werewolf standing back snarls and lungs first. Frozen, Ni-Ki watches as the god, moves forward to meet his opponent. A wolf and a god jumping in the air. The silver blade is buried deeper than the claws that come for Sunghoon's shoulder. He lands with ease while the werewolf is stuck in a form between man and wolf, anger in his gaze and a foam trickling down a human chin.

Ni-Ki can only dodge the creatures coming at him, running around with greater speed than they possess. But he's struggling. This isn't like anything he's ever done before. He hears a howl of pain as he swerves between two trees. So the god in near. And doing damage apparently. He turns to find that white spot between him and two wolves. But there's red now. Blood. Ni-Ki's fangs inadvertently extend and he feels himself drawn back. Before he knows what he's doing, he's tackling his savior, coming from behind. And sinks his fangs where he can, the smell overwhelmingly familiar.

The wolves laughter is what brings him back to himself. He moves away, distraught and disgusted by himself. He wipes away the blood on his chin with slightly trembling hands. And watches as the mountain god struggles back to his feet, standing between him and the wolves still. Unable to move, he can only witness, as the werewolves tears at the other, who still manages to place a few strikes, the smell of blood growing stronger and stronger.

_Frighteningly so._

He's on his feet before he knows it, and stands behind a wolf as Sunghoon falls on his knee. The beast in him acts, and he snaps the creature's neck. It's a man that falls dead at his feet. The other wolf turns away to howl with the rawest form of pain. Loss. Tears well in Ni-Ki's eyes as they fixate on trembling hands. He doesn't seem to care about the opponent coming to kill him anymore.


	2. 희망의 맛 - Taste of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They talk. And Ni-Ki learns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not expect that it would become longer. But yeah, I think this chapter is actually more of a standalone.

Exhausted, the minor god falls backwards, laying in the forest soil. 'It's been too long.' His lips curl up when he hears the familiar voice in his head. And closes his eyes, allowing himself to rest for a minute there.

Eventually, a rough tongue licks against his cheek and Sunghoon sighs. "Who called you?" He asks, slowly raising an arm to burry his fingers in the under jaw fur of a tiger.

‘I can always tell when you're in danger.’ Comes the quiet reply as the animal leans against the touch. ‘You should go. You know the rules, I can't kill. Not for you. Not anymore.’

Sunghoon forces himself to sit up. "I know my punishment." He acknowledges. "It's been too long since you and I have walked together." The animal presses his head against the god's, eyes falling shut for a second before simply fading away. The god runs a hand through his hair before assessing his surroundings. Two wounded, passed out wolves. And a dead man.

_Oh._

He swallows, searching for the freshly turned vampire with his gaze. His head falls. "We don't have time." He eventually says. And is met with no reply. Ni-Ki is on his knees, crouched forwards as he glares at bloodied hands, tears freely rolling down his cheeks. The mountain god stands, and marches to the other.

He knows, there's no point in trying to wipe away the blood. It's always going to be there now. He doesn't have time to coddle either. When those beasts return to their senses and their anger reaches its peak, they'll both be done for. They have to go. They have to. Now. So Sunghoon merely takes ahold of those bloodied hands and leads the other back on his feet, without a word. He knows there's little will to protest in a broken man. He's been there once. He merely turns away, leading the two of them forwards without a word, a hand holding the other still.

Walking eventually turns into running, at a human pace first, until instincts take over and their supernatural abilities carry them again. They can't stay on this side of the forest anymore. Sunghoon knows they can't. Not with the vampires and the werewolves looking for them. They have to go on the other side. They have to get unpleasantly close to the house. He swallows. It's been far too long since he's ventured over there.

Wolves howls are heard. And it's certainly not far away to be safe. Any cache in their territory is bad choice currently. They need away. And fast. The only way is the waterfall now. But they'll be so close then, so close to the house. The god looks behind him, and the young man holding his hands looks so terrified that he decided to put his own fears aside. They're quieter anyway. He's so much better at keeping them buried. Instead of continuing through the forest, he takes a sharp turn to the right. "Trust me." He begs, as the sound of the water becomes louder. Overwhelming enough for Ni-Ki to flinch. But he doesn't stop, he trusts fully now. He killed for the person holding his hand. They're very literally ride or die at this point. He still closes his eyes when they jump.

The impact is quieter than expected. He suspects the minor deity besides him might have a bit of an influence on that. Panic sets in when they're underwater. Ni-Ki's eyes widen as water starts filling his nose and mouth. Desperately he tries going up, and is stopped by a hand firmly gripping his own. Sunghoon shakes his head. But the former mortal tugs back, desperate for air, desperate to stop that choking sensation as water fills his lungs and tears roll out as he desperately tries to cough that water out, forming an unnecessary amount of bubbles around him.

Sunghoon sharply tugs his arm, bringing him significantly closer and blinks as their eyes meet. Carefully slow, with the intent to telegraph his movements, the mountain god brings a hand to the other's cheek, lips slightly parted as he leans in. The vampire instinctively closes his eyes, and met with no rejection, the god gently presses his lips to the other. Their noses are squished against one another but they don't move. They still like that, neither breathing nor needing to as they hold onto one another.

Finally, it's quiet enough for the god to focus on their surroundings. So he listens, he listens in an attempt to make locate the wolves. He listens to figure out if it's safe to emerge. Because he knows they won't be quiet when it happens. And they can't take the risk to put the wolves back on their tracks.

Xx

They're soaked, following a path carved into the rock behind the waterfall. They're also walking. Sunghoon ahead and Ni-Ki behind.

"Back down there, how did you... How did you do that? How did you make me breathe underwater?" The freshly turned vampire asks.

"You're a vampire. You don't need to breathe. You just needed to calm down." The minor god replies, without sparing him a glance.

"That kiss..."

Sunghoon stills in his steps. "Let's never mention it again." He asks. "The last person I kissed before that, I loved. This was a practical arrangement. Don't think for a second that it could mean more."

Ni-Ki nods a few times. "That's not what I was gonna say." He chuckles, it's a hollow, tired sound. "It's funny, you see, that kiss was my first kiss." Another of those odd chuckles. "It literally happened after I died."

"How come?" The god asks, without looking back. "You're in your what? Twenties? Fairly attractive too. So what's the reason?"

"Oh, I just wanted it to be with someone I truly loved." Comes the reply. And Sunghoon bites his bottom lip, a little ashamed. "It's funny how life turns out." Ni-Ki adds on. Then shrugs. "As long as I can find Taki, it will be worth it. Everything will be okay."

"Do you truly believe your brother is still out there to be found?" The mountain god questions, his tone revealing a very personal hope laced with vulnerability.

"I want to." The former mortal replies. "If he was," Ni-Ki swallows. "if he was dead, I'd sense it."

Sunghoon chuckles. Sounds an awful lot like a bunch of emotional nonsense. He doesn't point that out though. He's been hurt enough for today and a vampire punch doesn't particularly feel enticing right now.

Xx

_They made it to the cache. They're safe now._

It's not very sustainable though, all things considered. Sunghoon isn't certain what he's supposed to do with the fledgling. Send him to the vampires? Make a companion out of him? Put the kid out of his misery and hopes he meets his sibling wherever it is that he ends up? Ni-Ki is awfully quiet, he notices. Which makes for a peculiar change of pace. But he's not certain he likes it as much as he should. Sure, the freshly turned vampire is very punchable and his tongue is far too brazen. But it's the moment for him to ask all the questions he has. To wonder about his fate too. So why so quiet?

The god narrows his eyes upon noticing that the kid isn't talking because he's starring at his own hands, seated on the floor near their sole source of light. The flame dances atop of the tall candlestick, projecting ominous shadows in a world already fairly grim. Ni-Ki currently is at that very special stage when a vampire has only one thing on their mind: homicide. At least he's on the side of the spectrum that won't go bloodthirsty ripper and try to slaughter every being they encounter.

"Do you regret your choice?" The mountain god eventually asks. "Do you regret saving me?"

Ni-Ki looks up, blinking as the words register. Then shake his head. "You're my salvation, I know."

Shin Sunghoon swallows, unable to decide what else he is supposed to do, or say, in that instance. The young vampire is counting on him far too much. And he doesn't want to break that bubble quite yet. But he knows he should: "I bought us some time by bringing us here. But this can't work on the long run. What are you plans?"

"Plans?" Ni-Ki questions. What plans? His plans had been burnt to ashes to repel vampires and his heart pierced to bring him death. No, he did not, have any plans. How could the other ask that now? "Will you simply not acknowledge my pain?"

"Would it help if I did?" Sunghoon asks in return.

"Yes. It very much would." Ni-Ki says. "I could use those scraps of humanity left in you right now. You are the sole provider of comfort in my vicinity."

"Oh I'm sure you could find yourself a coven very easily if you just—" The mountain god stops himself upon seeing his interlocutor's head fall, features sombering and chin dangerously trembling. Oh no. Not tears. He hasn't dealt with tears in... Too long! He doesn't know what he's supposed to do about those.

Ni-Ki closes his eyes and now they're leaking now. The amber liquid rolls down on pallid cheeks like the vampire has any room to waste the little blood he has left in his system. Sunghoon moves to sit besides him and silently pats his back. He figures it'll be more efficient than trying to find out the right words, or pointing out that the other quite literally could run out of tears to cry and start desiccating. They'll cross that bridge when they get there. For now, he can allow the other to mourn his humanity and express his guilt. It's proof enough, he thinks, that the humanity in the vampire isn't, completely dead.

"I don't want to be dead." Ni-Ki eventually says.

"Do you feel dead?" The god asks back.

"What does that even mean?" The former mortal inquires, tears forming in his eyes. "My heart no longer beats. My bosom no longer heaves. And I'm cold, so cold." His brows crease as his gaze meets the other male's. "I don't want to be dead."

"Then don't be." Sunghoon reiterates. "You may no longer have a pulse but your heart still beats for those you care for. Your lungs may longer desperately need air but that merely is a constraint gone. As for the cold," He sighs. "just find someone who'll bother to keep you warm." He adds on, taking one ofNi-Ki's hands in his own. "Wow, you weren't kidding." He remarks, gently rubbing the hand to try to heat it up. "Listen I," The deity swallows. "I don't have all the answers for you. I don't even have them for myself. This is all I am. A constant wanderer in a prison of my own making. Those caches are all the future I see for myself. I won't chase you away, but I can't ask you to remain. You came for something. And I'm not sure how I can help you get it, but if I can get you on the right path, I will."

"Why?" Ni-Ki eventually asks, looking at their hands. "Why do remain here? If it was built to be another's prison, what are you doing penance for?"

"I'm atoning for my greatest sin." Sunghoon replies. "I once loved a gifted mortal. But I was too greedy. I couldn't settle for having them only for the span of a human life and awaiting for them to be reborn to see if they chose to remember me or drink the tea of oblivion." He swallows. "So I tried making them my equal, alleviate them to the same status. They trusted me with everything they had, their heart, their soul. I broke it all trying to shove too much power into a weak vessel. I broke them. And my heart on the same occasion. So I promised myself that I would remain with them and wait."

"Wait for?"

The mountain god sighed deeply. "Wait for the day my love would return to me. Or the day where I'll simply be ready to say goodbye to the vessel and kill the monster now inhabiting it."

Ni-Ki sighs deeply, his chest moving up and down despite his lack of need to breathe. It was still instinctual to search for that oxygen. "Have you ever gotten any closer to either outcome?"

"I don't know." Sunghoon admits. " Visits that once were daily turned weekly, then monthly, then trimestrial, then I stopped. I stopped because they're a truth I no longer have the strength to confront. I haven't been there in so long..."

"We should go. Together." Ni-Ki says. And the other chuckles. "I'm serious. You need closure to be able to move on. And I need to see that house for myself. If it is where Ta-Ki was expected to go, there might be clues about where he is now." The former mortal swallows. "I know you don't have hope, and I understand why. But like I said, if he has," His eyes twitch. "if he has passed," The vampire's eyes fall shut for a second as he inhales. "if he has passed, I will see him buried. If he is a supernatural creature too, I will remain by his side if he'll have me. In whatever shape or form is required."

"You truly believe the answer to your interrogations is at that house?" Sunghoon questions, brows faintly creasing.

"I don't know. But that's all I have. And I am willing to gamble on it." Ni-Ki replies. "I don't have much left to loose."

Sunghoon nods, releasing the hand he'd been attempting to heat up and reaches for the other one. Ni-Ki indulges with a certain easiness. "The house isn't particularly far. But it's a beacon for malevolent spirits, all drawn to the cries of the beast that lives in there. I don't think it's a good idea to venture too close to it. You don't even control your abilities well enough to outrun enemies so facing advanced ones? Sounds a lot like suicide."

"Good thing I'm already dead then." The vampire replies.

The mountain god sighs. "You could be killed and eaten, or worse, possessed. You died a bachelor after all. That's how Mongdals are born. The fact that you're undead makes you an even more potent vessel for those spirits. And that's only what to fear on the outside. The beast living within the walls of the house is..." He inhales deeply, in dire need of that breath. "The beast is..." He draws in another necessary breath. "He's..." A hand fall atop of his own.

"You've told me enough for now." Ni-Ki says. "And I hope you do feel a little lighter. But I need you to know that nothing you could say would change my mind. I am ready to meet my fate at that house."

Shin Sunghoon sighs, withdrawing his hands. "I won't lead you there." He declares, shaking his head. "I can't." He adds on, looking away. "And I think you shouldn't even try going."

The former mortal rises to his feet, comprehension so easily spoilt by bitterness. "This is not up for discussion." He says. "You don't understand. I lost everything coming here." His lips part and he exhales, fighting the frustrating blur of his vision. "I've renounced my life to see this through. Do you truly believe that I," He swallows. "that I could like you? Like a coward. From a cache to another because you can't face your truth?"

The god rises as well, jaw dangerously clenched as he looks down at the mortal. Normally, they're the same size, but he's taller now, the image of a young man fleeting to reveal an aged, tired man with a long beard and eyes that carried stories enough to fill books with. "A coward?" He asks again, the shifting features resettling into the familiar image.

"Yes. A coward." Ni-Ki repeats, now that they're eyes to eyes, or more so, nose to nose. "You know what the only outcome you have is. Don't lie to yourself. You're just not ready to let go. So how hypocritical is it of you to ask me to do just that?" He inquires, tilting his head to the side.

The minor deity chuckles, unamused. "Oh I am sorry for wanting you to survive." He replies quietly.

"But can't you see? I am already dead." The vampire spits out angrily. "My sacrifice only makes sense if I get a sort of closure. Then I'll go at peace."

"Go?" Sunghoon inquires, brows creasing.

"Did you believe I wanted to live a vampire?" Ni-Ki questions. "No." He shakes his head. "I'd rather be dead, than undead."

The god stumbles back, merely a couple of steps as the words sink in. "Oh." He says softly. "Oh." Is all he has to say. Of course. Of course. A vampire full of humanity. It made sense. He merely nods. He had no idea what the future held for them. And wasn't certain he wanted a future that included a particularly punchable hiking partner. But, he hadn't been prepared for the other to go quite yet either. Especially somewhere he would never be able to visit to check up on the kid. "Oh." His lips faintly curl up. "Good thing you have no idea where the house is then. Because I certainly won't tell you. You already died once because of me. That's as much guilt as I am willing to let you make me carry."

"You're so selfish still..." Ni-Ki speaks, disbelief animating him. "Have you learnt nothing from all your time here?"

"Sure. I am selfish." The god replies. "Selfish enough to want you to survive." He scoffs softly, settling amidst a makeshift nest on the floor. He hated those tiny mortal beds. Especially since his appearance uncontrollably shifted when he slept. "Wake me up when you're ready to survive again." He says, forcing his eyes shut. Tightly, the god clutches the key to open the cache's trap in the palm of his hand.

Ni-Ki's jaw clench as he looks down on the other's figure, curled amidst fabrics. He huffs. "That pretty of a face, for such an ugly personality. Absolute waste. But expectable." He declares, before peering around. There's a single folding bed against a wall. The candle is burning in a corner. Pottery jars are lined up against a wall. The vampire's brows crease and he approaches them. He recognizes the painting on some, his eyes adapting to semi-darkness with a certain ease. One depicts the Chronicle of the War Gods with great precision, and as he slowly spins it, it seems to gain a life of its own. "Heol." He whispers softly, watching the retelling of the Gunung Bonpuri with a certain awe. Picking up the next jar, he saw, the story of Lady Yuhwa unfurl. With a curious point of view: hers. Up to the point where she became 태후, Taehu, the Queen Mother. The third jar was the one entirely unfamiliar. He did not know that tale. He sat on the ground before carefully picking up the jar. Slowly, he spun it just a little, taking the time to let every action be properly depicted.

It starts with a high priest visiting a sansingak, begging for the tigers to actually descend upon the mortals and their cattles. Not because they stopped worshipping because they started disrespecting the mountain? Ni-Ki's brows crease in confusion as he slowly spins the jar a little to move to the next scene. And a young man with a familiar face appears. Sunghoon. Lips slightly parting as the realization sits in, the vampire wonders it if is even appropriate to keep watching. But he's curious now. And the images keep moving before him. The priest and the god having a curious conversation about environmental considerations, deforestation and slaughter of mountain bears. He can't help the faint smile that appears on his lips as he slowly spins the jar, watching the two fall in love. It's not particularly romantic of a bond, he notices. It's... It's platonic love, yes. When two souls merely find one another and are slowly drawn closer and closer until unity is restored. Colors shift as he spins the jar some more, bright pastel hues turning ash grey and orange and a small tick comes from the jar.

Ni-Ki stills and swallows. Has he damaged it? The ticking sound continues for a couple of second before the lid slowly lifts itself up. Careful still, the vampire puts the jar down before removing its lid. He peers inside to find paper. Just rolled papers. Pulling one out, he unfurls it to find a drawing. It's the man on the painting, he guesses. He retrieves another. That man again, but from closer this time, dark eyes, freckles. "He's pretty." He says softly. Of course pretty attracts pretty. Though the god is a bit of a conman ain't he? Cos he actually could be old enough to be your great grandpa's great grandpa's ancestor. Onomatopoeias of disapproval leave Ni-Ki's lips as he retrieves another rolled up paper. "Oh." This one's different. It's a drawing. Of the forest. Of this forest. It's a rough plan at best, but he can tell from the waterfall and the the annotations for cache that this is here. Promptly, be retrieves another drawing, tosses it away upon seeing another drawing of the shaman. And finds another pretty drawing. Useless. All useless. He takes another. And stills. It's the high priest again. But the light in the eyes is gone. They're pitch black now, while the hair is longer, much much longer. He doesn't look particularly malevolent. Just lost. Lost and scared, with his head lightly tilted to the side as he looks right at the observer. Ni-Ki swallows and puts the drawing down, still searching for more detailed plans.

Finally, he finds one. A detailed plan. With the house clearly marked. And touches of watercolor that tell him this is probably one of the latest versions he'll find. This is it. This is the way back to Ta-Ki. Glancing towards the asleep god in a corner, the vampire presses his lips together. Then turns back to the jar anddigs in the jar again, hoping to find anything to write with. His fingers meet charcoal. It'll do, he thinks, drawing it out. He peers through the unfurled paper rolls to find the first plan for this place and scribbles _'I'm sorry'_ at the back.He couldn't touch a drawing. Those were someone's memories.

Before he wanders out, the fledgling decides to test just how much control he has over his vampire abilities. Using his enhanced speeds, he trades the key Sunghoon held so tightly in the palm of his hand for the rolled draft plan. And goes to unlock the cache. The rickety stairs aren't particularly quiet, but he tries to be. Then refolds the stairs before dropping the key back into the cache. He doesn't think he'd be allowed in again anyway. After a final glance, he closes the trap and walks away, with his will and a plan for sole tools. _Now, he is, his salvation._


	3. 놀라움의 광경 - Sight of Amazement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ni-ki wanders on his own. And Sunghoon realizes he should've accompanied him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really tried to finish in one chapter, but it felt unsatisfactory and like I glossed over some stuffs. So Imma do it Harry Potter Deathly Hallows movies style and have a part one and a part two. Also, happy new year! 오랜만이야, 그치? I think it has been a while, as Loco says in his song. Perhaps too long.

It should've been harder to get to the house, Ni-Ki thinks, at he stands in front of a white door. It should have been way harder. But he hasn't encountered anything even remotely unpleasant in the darkness of the night. No creatures, no ghosts, not even a single annoying singing cicada. Just a couple of fireflies that accompanied him to this very door. 

It's eerily quiet, in ways the outdoors shouldn't be. But there's no going back now. Only forward. So the vampire carefully folds the plan and shoves it in the back pocket of his jeans. "This is it..." He says softly. Whatever happens from now onwards, he takes responsibility for it. For himself. He hopes Sunghoon knows. the minor deity is burdened enough by guilt already. And were it not for Ta-Ki, perhaps he would've considered remaining by the god's side for a little longer. At least until he was ready to go forever.

Running his fingers along the impressive white door, Ni-Ki searches for a possible opening mechanism. "Open sesame?" He whispers softly, after a fruitless inspection despite enhanced senses. Should he knock? Wouldn't that be too dangerous? What kind of nonsense was that? A door with no way in. Or, most likely, a door with no way out. That raised a question: How did the god usually make his way in?

"Do you truly want to go in?" A curious voice asked.

Ni-Ki swiftly turned around, searching for the origin and finding a kid hovering a couple of feet above the floor, head lightly tilted to the side. "Y-yeah." He replied, surprised by the sight of such a harmless ghost. He'd expected scary so much that it genuinely was throwing him off.

"Why?" The ghost asked back. "Why would you willingly enter a hungry tiger's cage?"

Ni-Ki's lips faintly curled up, gaze lowering. "My brother might be in there. Or the hungry tiger might know where he is."

"Ohh." The ghost says softly, before growing closer, his cold aura making Ni-Ki flinch a little as a ear presses to his chest. "But I hear no heartbeat. The people who come here, always, have a heartbeat at first."

Ni-Ki's brows faintly crease, trying to keep a neutral face as he takes a step back. There's something off with this kid, with the way his voice fluctuated from gentle to croaky and gleeful. He knows he is in trouble. He's prepared for scary.

When the kid open their mouth again, there's no sound anymore, no teeth nor tongue, just a black void seemingly growing in sizes as he floats up in the air. A deep guttural noise resonates in the forest. And one little spirit, calls a hoard to him.

Ni-Ki swallows, retreating towards that white door as darkness grows thicker, surrounding him to the point where he can't see the moon anymore. This is bad. So very bad.

Feeling cornered, the young man takes several backwards, expecting to eventually meet the door. But nothing, no resistance. And after a couple of steps, he can hear the cackles coming from outside, but he's standing inside the house. An impressive living room alit with far too many candles to count, full of... light. Yes, light. Past the candles generously littered on every surface possible, the furniture is just as bright, cream and gold tones, nothing lavish or tastelessly ostentatious but carefully chosen. It looks like a home, one decorated with love and care at that, not a prison.

Brows faintly creasing, the freshly turned vampire slowly spins on his feet and wonders if there still is a monster to find, or if Sunghoon's wish has been heard and his lover returned to him. Sinking his teeth in his bottom lip, Ni-Ki chews gently as he moves towards a flight of white stairs in an angle. It seems that the only way forward is up.

Xx

Sunghoon stretches as he awakens, yawning loudly as his form grows compact again, a tiny mortal, pocket sized projection of his true self but oh so much more practical than his aged body. Now that he is smaller, he can feel the crumbled piece of paper in his fisted hand. Brows creasing, the male opens his palm and swallows. He knows what words he'll find there. He knows because Ni-Ki is nowhere in sight and he can't pick up on the magical essence that resides in any supernatural creature. He knows, but still, carefully, he unfurls the paper to be met with one of his early plans. The god chuckles at the irony and turns the paper over to read a single word scribbled with a certain haste judging by the way the last letter drags. 미안합니다. Mianhamnida. I'm sorry.

Sunghoon's eyes fall shut, jaw clenching as the finality downs on him. The freshly turned vampire didn't leave to join a coven, he willingly ran into the jaws of the biggest beast around....

Reopening his eyes, the minor deity crumples the plan with both hands. "Whatever." He declares through gritted teeth as he throws the now compact ball of paper in a corner. "I did all I could for him. His fate is in his own hands now."

_"I need to know your name.... I'm entrusting you with my life, I want to believe that if I call your name for help, you will come."_

_"It's funny how life turns out.... As long as I can find Taki, it will be worth it. Everything will be okay."_

_"You're my salvation, I know."_

_"My heart no longer beats. My bosom no longer heaves. And I'm cold, so cold... I don't want to be dead."_

_"You don't understand. I lost everything coming here.... I've renounced my life to see this through. Do you truly believe that I, that I, could live like you? Like a coward. From a cache to another because you can't face your truth?"_

Sunghoon shakes his head as the memories start to overcrowd his head and overwhelm him. They haven't known each other enough for the young man to elicit such vivid remembrance. Surely it all comes from the fact that he hasn't felt much of anything for anyone in a long time. Ni-Ki merely re-awakened his heart, made it beat again when he'd been stuck frozen for so long. That's all the merit that can be given to that loud kid. A kid. The minor god lowers his gaze, eyes trailing to the vase in the room. He's already ruined a perfectly good young man. Can he, truly, let another die? Especially one who he's killed once already? One who has killed for him as well? Sighing deeply as the decision pretty much imposes itself to him, Sunghoon rolls his shoulders and straightens his back. Time to face a couple of his own demons.

Xx

It's a literal maze, the first floor of the house. Ni-Ki is certain of it. Because he keeps walking, alway going forward until he's forced to choose between left or right or ends up having to return to the 'main corridor' because he finds himself standing in front of doors he cannot open. Chuckling at his own stupidity, the young man wonders if he'll die in there. Well, more like dry up like a fruit and eventually desiccate. Oh, the many joys of being a vampire. Sadly for him, the plan, while very detailed on how to get the house, had no information regarding the inner working in that house. And despite how many doors Ni-Ki had bothered to try opening, all he found behind the ones that did let him through was more corridor to cross.

Should he try his luck and use his voice? Call for Taki and wish for the best? No. He can't. What if the beast is the one to hear him? What if whomever he ends up drawing to him isn't Taki but the monster trapped in? Or worse, what if the beast, upon hearing his call gets mad at Taki? Shaking his head, the young male keeps walking in silence, trying to ignore bleaker thoughts that suggest to him that his brother might've never been there to find, killed in the forest by one of the creatures he'd met prior. Or worse, died suffering at the hands of whatever monster inhabited that maze. Minos certainly didn't ask Daedalus to make such a complicated maze to hide the Minotaur in because he was your regular angry bull. Whatever Sunghoon chose to trap in there must be just as, if not more, dangerous.

Ni-Ki seems to reach yet another door as his thoughts grow darker, worry filling his heart and his gaze with visible apprehension. Swallowing, like every time he does when his hand falls on a door handle, the male physically braces himself. Mentally, he isn't quite as prepared Frankly, he's a little reckless with how he addresses the situation. He knows. But going back simply isn't an option anymore, anyway.

So Ni-Ki pushes the door. And the lights flicker for a second, complete darkness surrounding him. Strangely enough for a vampire, he can hear his heart thumping in his ears louder than ever before, even see the dead organ emit a faint pink light for a second before the light turn back on. Gone is the endless corridor in yellow tones with a blood red carpet guiding his way. Now, he stands in a much shorter one, to which he can easily see the end of, and alit in the same way as the room he'd entered in. Overflowing with endless candles, as if to keep all traces of darkness out.

Brows creasing as he drinks in his surroundings, the male realizes that there are only a very few doors left for him to explore. So he changes his strategy, knowing one of them has to be a cage of sorts. Before entering any, he holds in his breath, letting vampire instincts kick in. Eventually, his lungs stops unnecessarily heaving and he stops breathing entirely, with no struggle. And since he doesn't have a heartbeat of his own to hear, he can peacefully try and search for another. Using his developed sense of hearing, Ni-Ki is easily drawn to the loudest room, the one where he hears voices clearer than heartbeats. Standing in front of said door, he presses his ear to it and shamelessly listens to those voices. There are several. But mostly one is heard, yelling to the other to go faster because the master would return for dinner soon. Return?! Ni-Ki's eyes widen. Does that mean the beast has been wandering around as he was?! Or worse, is the monster now able to leave his prison?!

Shaking his head again, the newly turned vampire refocuses on his main preoccupation: Ta-Ki. This, is the occasion to ask whomever was in there if they've seen his brother. Maybe, if he is lucky enough he and Taki could be able to leave together before the monster returned! Hope filling his gaze, Ni-Ki takes ahold of the door's handle and promptly opens it. To become devastated as he finds nothing but an empty kitchen. "No..." He lets softly, tears filling his eyes as his heart breaks. He can't have hallucinated those voices... Not so vividly... Not now...

A "Ni-ki!" of surprise comes quietly.

But thanks to his abilities, the young male picks up on it, immediately recognizing the voice. "Ta-Ki?! Ta-Ki where are you?!" He asks, blinking away the blurriness of his vision as his gaze desperately travels around.

"See guys, I told you my brother would come and save us!" Ta-Ki speaks again.

"Save? My handle. He can't even see us!" Another voice says. "I already told you, your brother isn't the solution to this. Only the sanshin is!"

"Please, you only say that because you got a crush on him. I'll bet my lid on it." Another faceless voice.

"Guys let's not argue now. We still have to make dinner." A gentler voice interrupts.

And Ni-Ki wonders if he's gone completely mad because there isn't a single person in sight. "Psst, over here!" His brother's voice again. "Lower, lower!" He lowers his gaze, seeing nothing but a tea set. "Yes! I'm here!"

Ni-Ki blinks, growing closer to the tea set, now certain the voice came from here. "What? Did you expect us to have faces like in beauty and the beast?" Asks the voice from earlier, a pot that now floats in the air to pour itself in a cup that giggles with Ta-Ki's voice.

"Sorry, I'm still not completely used to the sensation." Ta-Ki eventually explains.

"Nobody ever truly get used to it." A chipped cup nearby points, sounding genuinely heartbroken.

"Oh don't be like that, Seon. It's hard for all of us. But we must keep a little joy in our heart." And now, Ni-Ki is able to easily trace that voice back to a plate. What is he even supposed to do about that? How, can Ni-Ki fix that? He can't just take Ta-Ki in a teacup form and leave to go to find Sunghoon. One, because he isn't certain Sunghoon would be so inclined to help him. And two, because as much as he would have liked to care only about his brother, Ni-Ki can't picture abandoning anyone in need of help. And surely, being turned into a kitchen item, goes under requiring some help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I scared myself a little writing that. So that goes to tell you how much of a scaredy cat I am. Last chapter will definitely be the final chapter and it will be sad, sorry guys :(


End file.
